23/02/2009

Pundits said it was inevitable; the general consensus was that it was a shoo-in, but the tension was palpable on the faces of Slumdog Millionaire [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Danny Boyle
film profile]’s cast and crew at the biggest awards ceremony of all – the 81st Annual Academy Awards. In the event, to paraphrase one of the opening lines in the film, “It was written”.

Danny Boyle’s tribute to Mumbai, and India, won an astounding eight of the coveted golden statuettes, as L.A.’s Kodak theatre rocked to composer A.R. Rahman’s infectious anthem “Jai Ho” again and again.

Slumdog won Best Motion Picture Of The Year, and for Achievements in Directing (Danny Boyle), Music Written For Motion Pictures – Score and Original Song (both A.R. Rahman), Film Editing (Chris Dickens), Sound Mixing (Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty), Cinematography (Anthony Dod Mantle) and Writing – Adapted Screenplay (Simon Beaufoy).

British cinema’s memorable night continued with Kate Winslet winning Actress in a Leading Role (The Reader [+see also:
trailer
film profile]), James Marsh’s Man on Wire [+see also:
trailer
film profile] winning best Documentary Feature and Michael O’Connor winning best Costume Design (The Duchess [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]).

Spain’s Penelope Cruz took home the Oscar for Actress In a Supporting Role for Vicky Cristina Barcelona [+see also:
trailer
film profile]. The late Heath Ledger expectedly won Actor In A Supporting Role. The only surprise of the evening was Sean Penn winning Actor In A Leading Role for Milk over the hotly tipped Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler.

Slumdog producer Christian Colson said in his acceptance speech, “Most of all we had passion and we had belief, and our film shows if you have those two things, you have everything.”